NEW YORK, NY, USA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Blake Wesley, Walker Kessler, Jaden Hardy, Tari Eason, Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren, AJ Griffen, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, Jabari Smith, Bennedict Mathurin, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivy, Paulo Banchero, Shaedon Sharpe, Jeremy Sochan, TyTy Washington, Keegan Murray, Ochai Agbaji, Ousmane Dieng, Malaki Branham, Mark Williams, Marjon Beauchamp, Nikola Jovic pose for a group onstage during the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY, USA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Blake Wesley, Walker Kessler, Jaden Hardy, Tari Eason, Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren, AJ Griffen, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, Jabari Smith, Bennedict Mathurin, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivy, Paulo Banchero, Shaedon Sharpe, Jeremy Sochan, TyTy Washington, Keegan Murray, Ochai Agbaji, Ousmane Dieng, Malaki Branham, Mark Williams, Marjon Beauchamp, Nikola Jovic pose for a group onstage during the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

NBA

Ranking the top 5 second-round picks from the 2022 NBA Draft

by Holden Walter-Warner Follow @hwalterwarner
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2022 NBA Draft

TAMPA, FLORIDA – MARCH 11: Kennedy Chandler #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the quarterfinals of the 2022 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on March 11, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Ranking the top 5 second-round picks from the 2022 NBA Draft: Kennedy Chandler, Memphis Grizzlies

Amid some confusing deals, Tennessee Volunteers point guard Kennedy Chandler made his way to the Memphis Grizzlies. While his six-foot stature has created some concern, Chandler’s skill could make him a steal.

Chandler averaged 13.9 points per game during his lone season in Knoxville. He shot a promising 38.3 percent from three, though a less stellar 60.6 percent from the free-throw line, which is sometimes viewed as a barometer for a player’s true shooting abilities.

The hometown Chandler is a speedy guard and one of the best at going downhill. By some estimations, he was arguably the quickest guard in the entire draft class.

Despite his size, Chandler also gained a reputation as a ferocious defender. He moves around quickly and has the ability to generate steals and start a fast break in the other direction. Chandler averaged 2.2 steals per game as a freshman.

His successful freshman season didn’t lead to Chandler being a first-round pick largely because of his frame. The NBA is a league where guards and wings are getting bigger, ironically leaving less room for smaller players to get a chance – they still exist, though.

The good news is Chandler will never need to shoulder more of the load than he can carry in Memphis since Ja Morant will presumably always be ahead of him on the depth chart. That gives Chandler the chance to develop as a lightning backup option for the Grizzlies.

Chandler’s ceiling in the NBA may be capped by his size, particularly if he can’t translate his shot at the next level, but as a leading guard off the bench, the Grizzlies may have found a long-term contributor in Chandler.

Next: #4

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